Collating equipment including collator and cart

Abstract

The present invention relates to novel collating equipment used in the printing of booklets, magazines, pamphlets or similar multi-page matter. The collating equipment includes a collator and a cooperating combined storage and feeding cart. The collating operation is performed in a collator containing a series of substantially identical work stations. A roll of preprinted material having two web sections or ribbons wound on a common core is placed in the cart and engaged in each collating station. The collator places each ribbon in superposed relationship to the corresponding ribbon at each location. The pairs of ribbons are then directed to the next location in the collator where the first pair of ribbons is placed in superposed relation to a next pair of ribbons. This operation is repeated until the entire printed matter is collated into a continuous stack of collated ribbons.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for collating printed material on a web roll with individual inner and outer web sections printed thereon which web sections are on a common core each of said sections having a series of aligning holes thereon along one edge of each of said web sections comprising a frame, at least one station of said frame adapted to receive said web roll, web drive means mounted on said frame and adapted to be engaged with said web roll when the latter is loaded into said station, a powered master roller mounted on said frame and positioned at said station, first means positioned at said station for directing said inner web section of said web over said master roller, second means positioned at said station for directing said outer web section of said web roll into collated and superposed relation to said inner web section on said master roller, and means associated with said master roller for maintaining said superposed relationship between said inner and outer web sections and for directing said superposed inner and outer web sections away from said station whereby the pre-printed inner and outer web sections emerge from said station in collated and superposed relation. 
     
     
       2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said web drive means is comprised of a rotating member in engaging relationship with an outer surface of said web section adjacent said frame. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said first and said second web section directing means are each comprised of a plurality of cooperating rollers mounted on said frame. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said means associated with said master roller is comprised of a plurality of radially extensible pins in said powered master roller adapted to be engageable in said series of aligning holes in each of said web sections. 
     
     
       5. A collator for assembling printed material from a plurality of web rolls each containing two individual side-by-side web sections wound on a common core with each web section having a series of aligning holes along one edge thereof comprising a support, a plurality of work stations along said support and each being adapted to receive one of said web rolls, drive means mounted on said support at each work station and adapted to engage with the corresponding web roll, a powered master roller mounted on said support at each work station, a plurality of first positioning rollers mounted at each work station adjacent said inner web section adapted to direct said inner web section over said master roller, a plurality of second positioning rollers mounted at each work station adjacent said outer web section adapted to direct said web section into superposed relation to said inner web section at said master roller, a plurality of extensible aligning pins on said master roller engaging said aligning holes in each of said web sections at each work station and adapted to direct said web sections along said support to an adjacent work station. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein each of said work stations is defined by a first and a second rail each extending substantially perpendicular to said support. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 further including a movable cart at each station, each of said carts comprising a bottom portion engageable in said work station between said first and second rails, a first and a second upstanding wall mounted on said bottom portion, core receiving means in each of said upstanding walls adapted to rotatably mount said core in said cart at each station. 
     
     
       8. A collator for assembling printed material from a plurality of web rolls each containing two individual side-by-side web sections wound on a common core with each web section having a series of aligning holes along one edge thereof comprising a support, a plurality of work stations along said support and each being adapted to receive one of said web rolls, drive means mounted on said support at each work station and adapted to engage with the corresponding web roll, a powered master roller mounted on said support at each work station, a plurality of first positioning means mounted at each work station adjacent said inner web section adapted to direct said inner web section over said master roller, a plurality of second positioning means mounted at each work station adjacent said outer web section adapted to direct said outer web section into superposed relation to said inner web section at said master roller, a plurality of extensible aligning pins on said master roller engaging said aligning holes in each of said web sections at each work station and adapted to direct said web sections along said support to an adjacent work station. 
     
     
       9. An apparatus for collating printed material on a web roll with individual first and second web sections printed thereon which web sections are wound on a common core each of said sections having a series of aligning holes thereon along one edge of each of said web sections comprising a frame, at least one station of said frame adapted to receive said web roll, web drive means mounted on said frame and adapted to be engaged with said web roll when the latter is loaded into said station, a powered master roller mounted on said frame and positioned at said station, first means positioned at said station for directing said first web section of said web over said master roller, second means positioned at said station for directing said second web section of said web roll into collated and superposed relation to said first web section on said master roller, and means associated with said master roller for maintaining said superposed relationship between said first and second web sections and for directing said superposed first and second web sections away from said station whereby the pre-printed first and second web sections emerge from said station in collated and superposed relation. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said web drive means is comprised of a rotating member in engaging relationship with an outer surface of at least one of said web sections. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus recited in claim 9 wherein said first and said second web section directing means are each comprised of a plurality of cooperating angle bars mounted on said frame. 
     
     
       12. The combination of a plurality of roll supporting carts each of which is constructed and arranged to rotatably support a web roll having individual first and second side-by-side web sections wound on a common core with each web section having aligning means therein adjacent one edge thereof, with a collator including an elongated support and a plurality of cart-receiving work stations disposed at spaced locations along said support and each work station including an inner support wall and being constructed for loading of one of said carts therein perpendicular to said inner support wall from the side adjacent said inner support wall and its corresponding web roll to orient the first and second web sections thereof into unwinding positions symetrically disposed in relation to a longitudinal medial plane of said work station, each of said stations including drive means mounted on said inner support wall and extending into an adjacent inner medial half-section of said work station and adapted to engage the corresponding first web section of said web roll to drive both sections thereof for collation, web section directing means arranged to receive said second web section and to translate the same from its position in an outer medial half-section of said work station into a collated and superposed position in relation to said first web section and in said inner medial half-section of said work station and web advancing means mounted on said inner support wall and disposed in said inner medial half-section and arranged to engage the superposed first and second web sections to advance the same into collated relation to corresponding first and second web sections in one or more of the longitudinally-spaced stations of the machine. 
     
     
       13. The combination set forth in claim 12 wherein said drive means is comprised of a rotating member in meshing relationship with said first web section of said web roll. 
     
     
       14. The combination set forth in claim 12 wherein said web section directing means is comprised of a plurality of rollers mounted on said inner support wall. 
     
     
       15. The combination set forth in claim 12 wherein said web advancing means is comprised of a rotating roller having a plurality of radially extensible pins therein adapted to cooperate with said aligning means in each of said web sections. 
     
     
       16. A collator for assembling printed material from a plurality of web rolls each containing at least two individual side-by-side web sections wound on a common core with each web section having a series of aligning holes along one edge thereof comprising a support, a plurality of work stations along said support and each being adapted to receive one of said web rolls, drive means mounted on said support at each work station and adapted to engage with the corresponding web roll, a powered master roller mounted on said support at each work station, a plurality of first positioning means mounted at each work station adjacent a first web section adapted to direct said first web section over said master roller, a plurality of second positioning means mounted at each work station adjacent a second web section adapted to direct said second web section into superposed relation to said first web section at said master roller, a plurality of extensible aligning pins on said master roller engaging said aligning holes in each of said web sections at each work station and adapted to direct said web sections along said support to an adjacent work station. 
     
     
       17. A collator for assembling printed material from a plurality of web rolls each containing two individual side-by-side web sections wound on a common core with each web section having a series of aligning holes along one edge thereof comprising a support, a plurality of work stations along said support and each being adapted to receive one of said web rolls, drive means mounted on said support at each work station and adapted to engage with the corresponding web roll, a plurality of powered master rollers each of said master rollers mounted on said support at each work station, a plurality of first positioning means mounted at each work station adjacent a first web section adapted to direct said first web section over one of said master rollers, a plurality of second positioning means mounted at each work station adjacent a second web section adapted to direct said second web section over another of said master rollers at an adjacent work station, means for superposing said second web section with said first web section, and a plurality of extensible aligning pins on each of said master rollers engaging said aligning holes in each of said web sections at each work station and adapted to direct said web sections along said support to an adjacent work station.